The great culminating miracle of Jesus Christ’s life, teaching, service, suffering, and sacrifice took place on the third day after his death and entombment.

Before daylight, Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James, and a few other women, having prepared fresh spices and ointments for Jesus body, went to the tomb and found that the stone had been rolled away. Looking in and not finding the body, they hurried to find Peter and the Apostles and told them the frightening news. Peter and John hastened at once to the tomb. John outran his older companion. Stooping down, he gazed in silent wonder into the empty tomb. Entering, Peter saw the burial clothes lying where the body of Jesus once lay. And then John followed him. In spite of fear, there dawned upon them a hope, which later would become an absolute knowledge, that Jesus the Christ had indeed risen from death. But, as yet no one had seen him. The two wondering Apostles returned to their doubtful brethren.

Mary stayed at the tomb and grieved at the entrance. Someone approached, and thinking it was the gardener, begged for him to tell her where he had laid her Lord. . . and then, she heard the beloved and familiar voice speak her name, “Mary.”

Jesus himself was standing before her. He did not appear as she had known him; but was now risen and glorified. She recognized her Lord, and must have attempted to embrace him, for he said,

“Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.” – John 20:17

Our Savior lived again! And because He lived, All shall live!

“The most glorious, comforting, and reassuring of all events of human history had taken place—the victory over death. The pain and agony of Gethsemane and Calvary had been wiped away. The salvation of mankind had been secured. The Fall of Adam had been reclaimed.” – Elder David B. Haight

The empty tomb that first Easter morning was the penultimate answer to Job’s heart-wrenching plea, ‘If a man die, shall he live again?’

“My beloved brothers and sisters, in our hour of deepest sorrow, we can receive profound peace from the words of the angel that first Easter morning: ‘He is not here: for he is risen.’” – Thomas S. Monson, He is Risen!

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